Where Do Broken Hearts Go
by Rizzamer
Summary: They were two broken hearts, and somehow that’s why they managed to let the light through. And She came to fix them both


The wind blew fast on the edges of his half equipped Susano'o as he dived through the woods to the nearby village where he had intended to stay for a few days before heading further south.

The raven haired Uchiha skillfully flew through the dense October forest while keeping an eye on the silent pink-haired kunoichi next to him. She had not said a word since they left their previous location due to their little argument, which was— like many others for the past four months of their journey — about their soon to be born child.

_"can't we stay a little longer here Sasuke-kun? We could still make it in time if we speed-" she was mumbling, trying not to get his temper up by bringing up her request for the nth time._

_"No. We're going tomorrow at dawn" he cut her off. He was standing up gazing into nothingness ahead of him while she lay on a tree trunk by the fireside, desperately trying to meet his eyes._

_She frowned at his impolite behavior and let out a sigh, readying her next argument for the battle; but before she could continue he turned to face her. The wind blew away the bang of hair covering his left eye to reveal his tomoe rinnegan; mismatched eyes faced emerald and for a second every thing else was dark and all he could see was his beautiful, round-bellied wife staring at him, with a pleading and pained look in those eyes that always sent butterflies down the surviving Uchiha's spine._

_" look I'll use my Susano'o to get us through faster, you won't even have to raise a finger Sakura; so just stop fighting a pointless battle already and get some rest or whatever " he threw the words at her without hint of any emotion in them. Sakura has learned how to read his mind and she could proudly tell that she knew him almost better now than their blonde best friend.But when Sasuke decided to veil his emotions — when he was in mission mode— even the lone person who brought meaning to his existence couldn't do anything about it._

_She exhaled and closed her eyes as he traveled every inch of her face to make sure he had not hurt her ( not too much) . " you know I don't like traveling with summons or Susano'o, especially now that I look like an awfully big watermelon..."_

_**Stop, you're beautiful he thought** _

_"...it's definitely not a good thing to do. I just don't feel like traveling could you understand that Sasuke? I don't mind staying in the woods a little more just to get back in my moods, why won't you get that?"_

_She looked back into the mismatched eyes as she finished rumbling in a soft tone. He could see that she was on the verge of tears but it didn't appeal to him. He didn't want anything to happen to her so that's precisely why he wanted to get to a nearby village so she could get some proper rest. But Sakura was just as stubborn as he was, if not more at times._

_It was his turn to exhale as he closed his eyes to end their war of sight. He wanted to tell her why he didn't want to stay, but he was never good at words, and sometimes that would be okay because the pinkette could read his thoughts by watching him. Except this time he left absolutely no hint of concern — or any other emotion — on his face or in the words he managed to get out of his throat._

_" you're annoying, get some sleep Sakura" he reached down to her and put out the fire before looking back at her and adding " the baby will be fine. You'll be fine. I'll make sure." There was still no emotion in his voice but he softened his gaze when he faced her._

_She was angry. Plain angry. He never listened to her and took every decision regardless of her opinion like she was still the hopeless 12 year old that he had to watch out for during missions. _

_She could handle herself she thought. Two days in the woods won't give her a miscarriage, but traveling, especially with her man's stupid version of a bird, could cause her more harm than Sasuke would know. _

_The baby was in her belly after all, plus she was a medic, and those were enough reasons to have a say in this matter. _

_But she knew that once her stubborn husband believed something was right, it was mostly just the exchange of fists ( and someday the loss of an arm) that could make him reconsider his judgment, even on matters like this._

_She surely was a strong fighter, but his ninjutsu abilities far surpassed hers; he would knock her out in a genjutsu before she could throw a fist at him. It didn't quite help that she was pregnant and got half of her chakra poured into the most precious thing growing down her abdomen._

_" Fine." Is what she said next, throwing her hands in the air as if giving up. She could merely sense relief in his expression at hearing her words and almost chuckled because he clearly didn't know what was coming out next._

_" Then I'll stay" she finally added sharply, trying to evade his eyes as her hands found their way back to her belly. " I can catch up with you in a couple days" she looked back up at him to search for any reaction._

_"No." Is all he said and silence filled the night around them for a whil_e, their battle of the sight at climax.

_Even if he didn't show it, he was surprised by her resolve; how could she think that he would leave her alone in the woods for two days, knowing that she couldn't defend herself properly ( though even if she could...), but then it dawned on him that he had asked her to return to Konoha to have a safe pregnancy. She had refused to leave his side and insisted she would follow wherever he went; That was the one fight that she won in a long time of being together._

_This was exactly why he wouldn't let her win this one. He felt guilty for allowing her to stay and therefore endangering the two precious lives that were his family , so he wanted them to be safe at all times._

_She was still facing him, at loss for words, when he snapped out of his thoughts to focus his stare on her delicate features._

" you said you'd follow everywhere I go... _you'd better follow Sakura" his words came out harsher and more commanding than he had intended them to be — mission mode always locked on. He looked down at her her belly to avoid the angry green eyes staring back and reached for his child with his sole hand. He patted softly while she looked at him still, and with a last soft look into emerald orbs, he turned to reach his sleeping side and get his eyes ready for the trip._

_He could feel the tension in the air as she kept watching him from behind, and all he wanted was to take her in his arm and pull her close to his chest, rubbing her belly while she buried her face in the crook of his neck. But it was not long before he heard her body move into a sleeping position and only a few minutes later her breath was hushed indicating that she was soundly asleep._

So he kept navigating the woods until they reached their destination; he then lowered his engine and turned it off. He gave a quick glance at his surroundings before his eyes fell on his wife; he couldn't tell if she didn't get enough sleep of if she really wasn't feeling fine. So he just walked around the narrow streets to the inn where he had been the last time he was there without her and she silently followed.

They reached the reception area and he ordered a room for two and paid the cashier for the first two nights. The cashier handed him the keys and asked if they needed anything else. Sakura, who had been listening to the exchange suddenly opened her mouth " any doctor?...around here?" she trailed, refusing to meet Sasuke's eyes who was now staring at her from the corner of his right eye like he had never heard her voice before — he had missed it though.

The elderly woman smiled and nodded before pointing to a building across the inn where she could meet someone for a check up on the baby. She smiled back and thanked her before the younger man standing near her ushered the couple to the way the woman had previously indicated for their room's location.

They silently followed down the hall until the man halted in front of the door. He motioned them to get in, nodded and was gone in an instant; Sakura wondered if he couldn't speak or if he was just as stoic as the man she called her husband— he always had a smile on his face though, she thought. Sasuke pushed the doorknob and motioned for his wife to get in, she would have teased the gentleman-ly gesture if she wasn't currently giving him the silent treatment. So she walked in without even facing him and sat on the couch near the bed.

' thank goodness there's a bathroom' was her first thought after looking around the small space they would be staying in. She sat up right back and somehow began undressing.

Sasuke had just closed the bedroom door behind him when he noticed her take off her equipment at first then her clothes, slowly revealing every curve of her petite ( she would always look like that to him, pregnant or not) body.

' Is she tempting me?' He thought at first before dismissing the idea after reminding himself of the actual size of the woman quite making a show in front of him.

" what are you doing Sakura?" He walked around to face her before twitching an eyebrow. Of course seeing how much she had already ignored him that morning, he didn't expect a reply.

And he was damn right...

Sakura was left in her underwear when the question reached her ear; she quickly walked past him and entered the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Sasuke didn't know if he wanted to smirk at the sight of her waist and back facing him or scold her for ignoring him like they were kids angry at each other for trivial matters. He kept quiet and sat on the bed, taking off his coat and sandals before letting himself fall over the mattress.

The sound of his wife and unborn baby peacefully taking a shower was enough relaxation for him to fall asleep from the overuse of his visual prowess, and the next thing he opened those eyes to was the cold breeze of the night and the dark of the surroundings. The one thing he couldn't find though, was the strands of pink hair that usually lay next to him when he woke up in the middle of the night. Just how much had he slept?

He got up from the bed and walked towards the bathroom because judging from the luminous intensity around him, it wasn't even midnight yet; so he could take a quick shower before pondering on his wife's whereabouts. But as soon as the water ran down his body, so did worry. He showered as quickly as he could and hastily got out of the room, as if late for an appointment. Only when he was done did he notice the kunoichi's chakra signature on the balcony near the bed; so he made his way outside the room with a blanket originally intended for his own comfort. When he noticed how barely clothed she was though, he gently put the material around her shoulders, making her quiver at his touch— he still had that effect on her, he thought, no matter how mad she is.

" Aah...You're up Sasuke " she said after a moment of silence, her voice barely a whisper in the night's consuming nothingness.

He was relieved that she had finally said something to him, but the lack of honorific in his name indicated that she was still angry, if not even more.

"Hn..." came his silent reply and she let out a sigh before he forced himself to make her speak

" what have you been up to?... while I was asleep " he managed to ask, a shade of concern mixed with curiosity enveloped his words as he tried to meet her eyes, but she seemed to be focused on whatever was ahead of her— just like he had the night before.

" the doctor's" she simply said. He remembered her first sentence of the day from earlier. She had wanted to see a doctor, what for? Was anything wrong? Anything she couldn't take care of? Because he knew she could always take care of herself, and of course her baby— their baby.

" I had some complications in the abdomen, the doctor said it's just too much physical effort like I had suspected; it'll get better in a few days" she added before he would get mad of worrying.

"Complications? The baby?" He couldn't form coherent words at what she just said. She was right all along when she said she shouldn't travel, but he didn't listen.

" the baby is fine. I've been shielding the placenta with more chakra to keep it safe..."

He remained silent for a while, waiting for her to blame him, because she had the right to; but she didn't.

" you're at fault here and you know it, but I could care less. Next time just know I'll do as I please since you won't trust me more or let me have a say when it comes to my own well-being "

And while she said that, Sasuke's mind became a fortress, he couldn't stop pointing angry fingers at himself for being so stupid; but then he found the most stupid way to let his anger out:

" You're the one who decided to follow me Sakura, I told you it wasn't safe. You could still go..."

He stopped in his tracks when she abruptly turned to face him.

**'You have crossed the line' **her expression declared. He expected her to speak ( or start crying?) but she just turned back to face the night.

They stayed like that for a while before he decided he couldn't stand the situation anymore.

"Sakura..."He finally broke off, his feelings now transparent in his voice; he was sorry. He didn't know why: because he had hurt her; because he was acting selfish as always; because he was a mess and didn't deserve her as a husband or father. There were a lot of things he was sorry for, but he did not expect the reply that came out from his wife, he didn't expect her eyes to turn glassy and soft— not like yesterday, worse.

" You know what really hurts me?..." she started, her voice calm and composed. Sasuke didn't even realize that he had started holding his breath, waiting for her to continue.

" If I wasn't so stubborn, if I went back home alone when we found out about the baby...and... and I let you go on with your journey, the chances are you would never have come back to me— to us" she placed a hand on her belly as she finished speaking.

Silence engulfed the space around them yet again; Sasuke didn't know what to say, she caught him off guard and the worst thing— he thought to himself — was that she was probably ( if not certainly ) right. Before he could find the right words, or any words actually , Sakura spoke again.

" I know you wouldn't come back, not even for our baby. I would send you millions of letters and you'd not reply any... because you're broken. Right?" She paused to wipe the tear falling down her cheek, and Sasuke's body froze. No enemy had ever made frozen to that point, not even Senju Tobirama when he wanted to kill him; but Sakura was not an enemy, she was his weakness, the only one who had his heart in her hands without him even realizing it.

He didn't answer her seemingly rhetoric and she continued " When you came back and we started kind of dating I saw it straight, that redemption or not the pain and guilt were still there in those onyx eyes. I figured I could never take that away no matter the love I would shower you with, so I wanted to share your pain and your burdens, if anything. But you wouldn't let me see your ugly sides at first, and it took months for you to let me in...I know... I know you love me...really. It's yourself that you don't love... I noticed. And I thought I could love you enough for both of us, but that's not how it works" she let out a sigh and finally turned again to face him, her eyes already wet with her silent tears. He didn't even flinch but their eyes were once again locked on each other.

" You can't ask me to marry you, build a family with me, and then suddenly decide that you're not worthy of the life that you're living and disappear. Because I know if I leave you that's exactly what will happen. I know that your intentions were good when you asked me to go back, but I just couldn't do it; because everyday I wake up searching for you next to me, the fear that you could leave— that you'd let your emotions control you—gripping my chest tight"

She released the breath she didn't know she was holding, while Sasuke's throat remained constricted.

They had reached a point in their relationship where they were completely open about their feelings, especially because they could actually read each other's minds so there was no need lying or hiding thoughts. Of course Sasuke knew his wife's feelings about his constant guilt and fear taking over him, she knew that guilt was the reason he left the village for two years without any real communication between them. He'd wanted to become a better man, someone worthy of his team's unfading love towards him; and especially a man worth Sakura.But even after his journey of redemption and all the lengthy heart-to-heart conversations they had regarding his past, he still sometimes felt that he was no good for her, or anyone else; and that was hurting them both to extends they could feel right in their chests.

" Sakura..." he said her name because that's the only thing that was on his mind, just her and the loyalty and love she'd shown him all those years, and the pain he'd caused her. His mind was dazzling with pink and Sakura.She deserved so much more, someone better...but he was selfish wasn't he?

Their eyes were still locked on each other's and her tears wouldn't stop flowing. He wanted to hug her so tight as if it could take away her pain— the pain he always caused.

She closed her eyes for a moment and he reached for her cheek with his lone hand; she slightly shivered at the touch and opened her eyes again to continue her speech.

"You... you take me for granted. Because I've been waiting for you my whole life, and you know that I'll always wait when you leave me— of course I will. But how long until you completely shatter my heart and I have nothing left to love you with?"

Sasuke was a man of few words mainly for character, Only this time he really didn't have the words to face his wife, not even a single one. And so she kept speaking, because she knew that he didn't have the words; asking him to get rid of his guilt and pain was like asking an addict why they don't just quit, things didn't work so easily.

She placed a hand on his and looked him straight into the iris, her recent tears now trails of salt down her cheeks. " Sasuke-kun, remember, when you came back, you told me you wanted to make up for our failed past; the only way to do that is by staying here, right here with us. And whenever your feelings take over you, I'm here, always. Please never forget that, from now on... please " she squeezed his hand in hers, and she could tell that he was holding back tears the best he could. She had seen him crying before and she knew he clearly didn't like crying.

" I'm sorr-y... Sakura... I'm sorry... for everything. I'm helpless. I'm still doing the same things over and over... I keep hurting you when I promised myself to make you happy...Forgive me, Tsuma " he was sobbing but the tears were inside. Soul so broken it couldn't be helped.

" I promise you, I won't leave... I want to be with you, now and forever... we're a family Sakura. You're my home " he gave her a faint and broken but sincere smile. Because to him Konoha still felt like home because of her, and the fact that he was traveling with her simply meant he was home somehow. And he clearly didn't want to leave that home, he didn't have the right to.

Their hands were intertwined and they were looking at each other silently, the echo of Sasuke's words somehow taking time to make sense in the air between them.

She smiled back at him; a smile full of love and compassion, but broken nonetheless.

_They were two broken hearts, and somehow that's why they managed to let the light through. 3 3_

———————————————————————

"How are we going to call her Sasuke-kun? We still haven't decided " his now-petite-again and exhausted wife turned from their new born to face him, her happiness outmatching the child birth pains she was feeling seconds ago.

" You're her mother, you should pick one" he smiled at her while his hand reached down to touch his daughter's

"Sa-ra-da ?" She inquired, looking at the two most precious beings in her life next to her— her family!

" Uchiha Sarada... sounds kind of... perfect " he looked back at his wife and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. She leaned over the pillow to give Sarada her first milk and he sat by her side on the bed, watching them and memorizing every single moment with his visual prowess.

Sakura had loved him, learned to know him, and somehow — he couldn't quite explain — loved him even more. True, he was broken. So broken that he broke the girl who so desperately tried to fix him. But looking at both of them now, something had changed. They were both broken beyond repair and learned to love each other nonetheless. But the birth of Sarada had somehow managed to fix them both; she was the embodiment of the feelings that had connected Sasuke and Sakura since they were twelve. And somehow she would always be that little piece of magic that mended their hearts into one.

_Sakura was his home, and now Sarada would be his heart..._

**The End**


End file.
